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Some chemicals like creosote, oils and greases can make existing acne worse, especially affecting skin beneath clothing which is saturated with the oils. Other chemicals cause a specific type of acne called 'chloracne'. Chloracne is small straw-coloured cysts and inflamed follicles, often behind the ears and at the outer corner of the eyes. It is caused by chlorinated hydrocarbons, found in herbicide manufacturing and cable splicing, and by polychlorinated biphenyls. As well as its effect on the skin, chloracne should be treated as evidence that these chemicals have been absorbed into the body through the skin.

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